Whirlpool-type baths have long been the mainstay of athletic training rooms and physical therapy facilities. These baths are used to treat discomfort resulting from strained muscles, joint ailments and the like. The agitating motion of the warm bath water relieves the soreness and promotes tissue regeneration by increasing the flow of blood to the area of the injury. More recently, whirlpools have been found in increasing numbers in health spas and homes as they have gained in popularity as a means of relaxing from the daily stresses of modern life. The bubbling water and swirling jet streams create an invigorating motion that massages the user's body.
To create the desired whirlpool motion and hydromassage effect, jet fittings are typically employed to inject water into the receptacle at a high velocity. In the past, it has been proposed to enhance the whirlpool motion by adapting the fitting to increase the circulation of the water within the receptacle. Henkin U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,839 discloses such a fitting where water is drawn from the receptacle and mixed with the inlet stream in a mixing chamber located externally of the receptacle and remote from the fitting itself. A major drawback of the fitting disclosed in the Henkin patent involves the extra plumbing required to convey water to and from the mixing chamber.
Henk U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,659 discloses a skimmer apparatus for a conventional swimming pool which enhances the skimming operation by increasing the flow therethrough. The apparatus operates solely within the pool. Flow is increased by using the output from a pool filter as an ejector. More particularly, filtered water is directed into a venturi, which entrains the surrounding pool water and discharges the resulting combined stream into the pool. Although the skimmer apparatus of the Henk patent effectively enhances the flow of pool water, its utility is limited to the performance of a skimming operation.